What Baby?
by PkGrl
Summary: Towards the end of season three, what would happen if...


This is the first fan ficlet that I've let anyone read, and this is the first draft as well. I've been writing for half my life now, but I've never finished a fan fic. This one will be short, very short, so I'm calling it a ficlet...  
  
Attention: Possible spoilers for end of season 3... you've been warned.  
  
Title: What Baby?  
  
Author: PkGrl  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Category: Drama  
  
The set up is this...  
  
after John, Aeryn, Crais, and Talyn have managed to foil Scorpy's worm hole research, Crais is killed (or so we are led to believe), John is captured, but Aeryn has been able to get Talyn in a strategically viable position to bargain for John.  
  
John figures he's dead, but he feels okay about it since he did manage to do what he wanted... rip the ability to do further worm hole research away from Scorpy. When John later finds himself aboard Talyn, with Aeryn, he's confounded. Talyn's still just off the port stern of Scorpy's command carrier.  
  
What Baby?  
  
John's eyes finally opened, at once elating Aeryn and filling her with dread. Now she'd have to explain...  
  
"Wha--," John began suddenly, bolting upright.  
  
Aeryn, her hands on both of his shoulders, pushed him down, knowing he'd comply.  
  
"You're aboard Talyn," she explained calmly.  
  
She was proud of herself for having maintained this calm and resolved not to lose it. "You'll be fine. As soon as you're ready, Talyn will starburst. When you find Moya, tell the others to starburst immediately."  
  
"What do you mean? We'll tell them," John protested, pushing himself up on his elbows.  
  
Now was the hard part. Aeryn stood, walking away from John, not sure if she could face him when she told him.  
  
"Aeryn?"  
  
She hated that tone... she knew it only meant that he cared. She had hoped he had somehow begun to feel indifferent, hoped that her attitude might have altered his feelings for her. She knew now that they had not.  
  
She turned to find him sitting at the edge of the bed, ready to stand. Her expression made him stop. "You'll be taking Talyn alone," she began, then continued quickly, before he could protest again, "I've already informed Talyn, and he's agreed to work with you, so don't worry. He'll rendevous with Moya--"  
  
"Aeryn, what are you talking about?" John did stand now, a bit unsteadily, but resolved to retain his feet.  
  
"We've done it, and somehow managed to get away, but we've done it. We can go now...."  
  
"No, John, we haven't."  
  
John looked at her with that hurt, confused expression that reminded her of what he must have looked like as a boy, and which still tugged at her heart in spite of her efforts to ignore him.  
  
She continued explaining, turning to pace the floor of what was once Crais's quarters. "I'll be staying here for a while longer. You can send Talyn back in about half a cycle. Scorpius has assured Talyn free access, provided he approaches with his main cannon powered down."  
  
"And you believe him?" John asked incredulously. "Why don't we just starburst now?"  
  
"Because if we try to manuver away to do that, Scorpius will be able to open fire."  
  
John turned, looking for a port. "You mean.... Is that Scorpy's command carrier?!"  
  
"Scorpius captured you," she continued quickly, "and I had to do something. I mean I couldn't just let him--"  
  
"That wasn't a dream? You mean Scorpy actually had me? And he just let you... What did you do, Aeryn?"  
  
This was John's authoritarian tone, one she'd only heard a few times, but which made her cringe none-the-less. "Aeryn, what did you do?"  
  
Aeryn turned to face him again, pulling strength from her depths in order to do so. "I promised him something just as... interesting to him. Something I knew he could use to replace his interest in worm holes."  
  
This was it. This was where she'd have to tell him... everything. It had to be done. She'd given Scorpius her word.  
  
John remained silent, but his eyes burned pulse blasts through her soul. She faced him squarely.  
  
"I promised him Crichton's child."  
  
to be continued...  
  
This is the vision I had last night, so I had to share the agony, or it would torture me until January. Now, you can all tell me to go to Hezmana and I can get on with the fun stuff.  
  
PkGrl 


End file.
